to get acquainted, your young Caretakers and I.”
“But how did you get here so quickly?” John asked. “It hasn’t been more than a couple of hours since we summoned you.”
“Quickly?” exclaimed Bert. “I’m only sorry it took so long. I was already on the edge of the Frontier, on my way to Oxford to consult with John about a crisis in the Archipelago, when the sextant aboard the Indigo Dragon began to point toward London. That’s when I realized someone had used a Compass Rose. But I scarcely expected to find you at Jamie’s house.”
“That’s a story in and of itself,” said John. “Let’s go downstairs. There’s someone you ought to meet.”
Laura Glue was rolling around on the floor with Aramis when the group came downstairs. Introductions were made, and when she shook hands with Bert, her eyes became the size of saucers.
“The Far Traveler? For really and truly?” She exclaimed. “No one will believe I actually met you.”
“Really?” said Bert, flattered. “And why is that, my dear?”
“Because—whenever you’ve been mentioned, my grandfather shakes his head an’ says your wick isn’t lit. But you don’t look anything like a candle at all.”
John and Jamie let out a burst of laughter, and even Jack chuckled. Charles just smiled grimly and patted Bert on the back. “Look at it this way—at least you didn’t have to share the backseat of a car with her all day.”
“All day?” said John. “It only took us a few hours to get to London.”
“That’s what it seemed like to you , maybe,” Charles shot back.
“She’d come from the Archipelago seeking me ,” said Jamie. “Her grandfather sent her, apparently.”
They quickly told Bert what had taken place during the day, including Laura Glue’s mysterious message, and his features grew very dark. “That’s troubling news indeed,” Bert mused. “I’m as clueless as Jamie about the message—although it was clearly meant for a Caretaker to interpret, and obviously something greater than we know is going on in the Archipelago.”
“The children,” came a small voice. “Someone’s taking all the children.”
It was Laura Glue.
Bert knelt down in front of her. “What do you mean, darling girl? Is that why your grandfather sent you here?”
She nodded, and a single tear fell down her cheek. “Grandfather knew. He knew. He saw them coming in the big boats and knew what was going to happen, so he made me put on Uncle Daedalus’s wings, gave me the flower, and sent me to find Jamie. He said he would know what to do.”
“Who was coming, Laura Glue?” asked John. “Who was your grandfather protecting you from?”
“The men with the clocks in their bellies,” replied Laura Glue, beginning to sob openly.
“Shh, shh, there, there,” Bert told her gently. “It will be all right, my girl. But tell me, these men—how did you know they had clocks in their bellies?”
“Cuz you could hear it,” she said. “When they was coming to get us, you could hear the sound—tick-tock, tick-tock—over and over and over. And they makes noises when they moves, like a principle.”
“Like a car, you mean?” asked Charles.
“I don’t know what that is,” said Laura Glue. “But Grandfather called them the clock men, so…”
“Clockwork men,” said Bert. “This grows worse and worse. They’ve been outlawed in the Archipelago for nearly a decade.”
“You mentioned that you were already headed to see me because of a crisis in the Archipelago,” said John. “That’s not mere coincidence, is it?”
“No, I’m afraid it isn’t,” Bert said somberly. “A great catastrophe has befallen the Archipelago.”
“Is Aven all right?” Jack asked quickly, recalling his recent dreams. “Has she—uh, the queen—been hurt?”
“You’re three steps ahead of me, young Jack,” answered Bert. “She’s fine, mostly—but she’s smack in the center of the crisis. Crises. One of the crises,
“But how did you get here so quickly?” John asked. “It hasn’t been more than a couple of hours since we summoned you.”
“Quickly?” exclaimed Bert. “I’m only sorry it took so long. I was already on the edge of the Frontier, on my way to Oxford to consult with John about a crisis in the Archipelago, when the sextant aboard the Indigo Dragon began to point toward London. That’s when I realized someone had used a Compass Rose. But I scarcely expected to find you at Jamie’s house.”
“That’s a story in and of itself,” said John. “Let’s go downstairs. There’s someone you ought to meet.”
Laura Glue was rolling around on the floor with Aramis when the group came downstairs. Introductions were made, and when she shook hands with Bert, her eyes became the size of saucers.
“The Far Traveler? For really and truly?” She exclaimed. “No one will believe I actually met you.”
“Really?” said Bert, flattered. “And why is that, my dear?”
“Because—whenever you’ve been mentioned, my grandfather shakes his head an’ says your wick isn’t lit. But you don’t look anything like a candle at all.”
John and Jamie let out a burst of laughter, and even Jack chuckled. Charles just smiled grimly and patted Bert on the back. “Look at it this way—at least you didn’t have to share the backseat of a car with her all day.”
“All day?” said John. “It only took us a few hours to get to London.”
“That’s what it seemed like to you , maybe,” Charles shot back.
“She’d come from the Archipelago seeking me ,” said Jamie. “Her grandfather sent her, apparently.”
They quickly told Bert what had taken place during the day, including Laura Glue’s mysterious message, and his features grew very dark. “That’s troubling news indeed,” Bert mused. “I’m as clueless as Jamie about the message—although it was clearly meant for a Caretaker to interpret, and obviously something greater than we know is going on in the Archipelago.”
“The children,” came a small voice. “Someone’s taking all the children.”
It was Laura Glue.
Bert knelt down in front of her. “What do you mean, darling girl? Is that why your grandfather sent you here?”
She nodded, and a single tear fell down her cheek. “Grandfather knew. He knew. He saw them coming in the big boats and knew what was going to happen, so he made me put on Uncle Daedalus’s wings, gave me the flower, and sent me to find Jamie. He said he would know what to do.”
“Who was coming, Laura Glue?” asked John. “Who was your grandfather protecting you from?”
“The men with the clocks in their bellies,” replied Laura Glue, beginning to sob openly.
“Shh, shh, there, there,” Bert told her gently. “It will be all right, my girl. But tell me, these men—how did you know they had clocks in their bellies?”
“Cuz you could hear it,” she said. “When they was coming to get us, you could hear the sound—tick-tock, tick-tock—over and over and over. And they makes noises when they moves, like a principle.”
“Like a car, you mean?” asked Charles.
“I don’t know what that is,” said Laura Glue. “But Grandfather called them the clock men, so…”
“Clockwork men,” said Bert. “This grows worse and worse. They’ve been outlawed in the Archipelago for nearly a decade.”
“You mentioned that you were already headed to see me because of a crisis in the Archipelago,” said John. “That’s not mere coincidence, is it?”
“No, I’m afraid it isn’t,” Bert said somberly. “A great catastrophe has befallen the Archipelago.”
“Is Aven all right?” Jack asked quickly, recalling his recent dreams. “Has she—uh, the queen—been hurt?”
“You’re three steps ahead of me, young Jack,” answered Bert. “She’s fine, mostly—but she’s smack in the center of the crisis. Crises. One of the crises,
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